Keynote Speaker: Timothy Brennan, Professor of Comparative Literature,Cultural Studies, and English, The University of Minnesota.Selected Publications: Wars of Position: Cultural Politics of Left andRight (2005), Ed. Music in Cuba (2001), At Home in the World:Cosmopolitanism Now (1997).

There has been much talk recently of the turn to the post-secular.Because of this writers heavily influenced by theology and religionare once again being placed at the fore of cultural studies:especially Walter Benjamin. A brief review of the scholarshipreveals Benjamin's reemergence: Eric Santner has recently donegroundbreaking work with Benjamin, and Benjamin is also of interest toa wide array of thinkers including Terry Eagleton, Slavoj Zizek, andJudith Butler. This panel invites proposals that deal with any aspectof Benjamin's thought, whether it be his views on language, film,messianism, history or violence, and this panel is especiallyinterested in proposals that seek to reexamine Benjamin in our currentpolitical and cultural contexts.

A detailed 250-word abstract should be submitted by December 15,2006, to Rich Cooper <richpaulcooper_at_gmail.com>. Papers should be 15minutes in length. Please submit your abstract in the body of youremail. No attachments, please.

In case you were wondering, the Mardi Gras conference takes placeduring the weekend of Mardi Gras. Baton Rouge is 50 minutes from NewOrleans, by car.